SBP crafts long-term basketball program

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has drawn up the master plan for a long-term program geared towards the country’s bid for a return stint to the Olympic competition in the 2012 London Games.

SBP executive director Noli Eala said hiring a foreign coach is only one of the initial steps the federation is undertaking to put in place a national men’s team program patterned after the successful NCC concept in the 80s by then project director Danding Cojuangco.

Included in the plan is the holding of a Fil-Am camp in the United States to recruit potential Fil-Am talents for the national pool, separate from the national team to be formed by the PBA for the FIBA-Asia championship next year.

Eala said he has talked to Jim Kelly, a former colleague in PBA TV coverage now working with the Toronto Raptors as a scout for the Fil-Am camp. He’ll do a separate search for naturalized players to reinforce the team.

“I met Jim Kelly during the Olympics (in Beijing) and we’ve discussed the matter. I’ve also talked to (US-based) Caloy Allado, the father of Don, to help us in this talent search,” said Eala.

If they can sign up Serbian coach Rajko Toroman to coach the team, Eala said they’re looking to start the tryouts as early as October.

Toroman, who piloted Iran to the FIBA-Asia title in Tokushima last year for a ticket to the Beijing Olympics, has been invited by Eala to come over late this month to watch the UAAP and the NCAA finals. The two have been in touch through emails.

If ever, Toroman would be the fourth foreign coach to handle the RP team after Ron Jacobs, Norman Black and Tim Cone – the last two are longtime Philippine residents who have developed their coaching skills in the PBA.

Key players of the Nokia-RP Youth squad that placed seventh in the recent FIBA-Asia junior men championship in Tehran are likely to be tapped in the pool.

“I have talked to PBA board chairman Joaqui Trillo about this program. Our request is for the PBA teams to let us keep the pool intact for a certain period – not recruit the players to join the draft. Another request is for the PBA to exempt the national players from the salary cap (by the time they turn pro). It would be their incentive for joining the RP team,” said Eala.

Outside the formation and training of the team, Eala said the SBP would bid for the hosting of the 2011 FIBA-Asia championship which serves as the qualifier for the London Olympics.

“I have talked to the FIBA-Asia officials. They said Guangzhou is not yet officially declared as host of the 2009 FIBA-Asia championship. For us to have a good chance of hosting the 2011 tourney, China must get the 2009 event. Otherwise, 2011 would go to China,” said Eala.

Three slots to the 2010 World Championship in Turkey will be at stake in the FIBA-Asia men’s championship next year. PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios who is now in the United States, will announce his choice as head coach of the RP team to the 2009 regional elimination upon his return.